Shoe and heel construction



June 23, 1942. J. PALUMBQ 2,281,445.

' SHOE AND HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1940 INVENTOR. Joseph Palumbo l; ATTORNEYS,

Patented June 23, 1942 iTED "STATE-S PATNT OFFEE snoa AND HEEL CONSTRUCTION Joseph Palumbo, Columbus, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Vulcan Corporation, Portsmouth,

Ohio

Application May 25, 1940, Serial No. 337,243

3 Claims.

detached when subjectedto abnormal shocks and 'to prolonged normal use.

The problem is more difiicult whena medium or high Cuban heel must be secured to the shoe since the higher the heel the more severe are the mchanical forces tending to break down the union between the heel and shoe upper.

The present invention by employing an interlocking construction of high efiiciency between the heel and upper structure of the shoe accomplishes a union possessing great strength and durability which effectively preserves the new appearance of 'theshoe and guards againstinjury to the wearer resulting from detached heels.

In practicing theinvention-the shoe upper is constructed in the usual or any suitable manner and a sole is applied thereto. 'Therear portion of the sole is of special construction. This special form of sole may be pre-formed before its application to the shoe, but desirably is prepared bythe heel fitting operator in the normal course of building a shoe. The heel fitting operator cuts a short flap of substantial thickness from the heel portion ofthe sole. This flap is so out that its forward extremity is integral with the sole and terminates at the plane of theheel breast position while its rearward free portion is properly shaped to underlie the lip of the heel and its width is substantially less than the heel width.

To complete the preparation of the shoe, the heel portion of the sole is trimmed in the usual manner to be received in the seat of the heel. Cement is then applied to all of the interengaging elements including the bottom face of the heel lip and the heel applied to the shoe with its lip projected beneath the flap. When the heel is in its correct position upon the shoe, the extreme forward end of the lip fits snugly against the line of junction between the sole proper and the flap. To complete the attachment, the usual heel attaching nails are driven or other suitable attaching means are applied. The lip with its underlying flap is then covered to present a finished appearance. It may be covered in any suitable manner, as for example, by an overlying flap which is desirably skived from the sole bottom prior to the heel fitting operation. In the above manner of constructing the shoe, the heel retaining flap underlies the lip of the heel serving to greatly strengthen the union of the heel to the shoe and by providing a finishing cover, the presence of theflap iscompletely concealed and the appearance of the finished shoe is practically unaltered, as compared to a, shoe constructed without the reinforcing element.

To present a more completeand accurate conception of the invention, the particular embodiment thereof has been illustrated inthe drawing and will now be described.

In the drawing, 'Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the heel portion of a shoe embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a heel adapted to be embodied in-the shoe construction constituting the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the heel portion of a shoe bottom prepared for attachment of the heel thereto.

The present invention is concerned mainly with improvement of those elements which act to secure the heelto the shoe, and is directed to shoes having the Louis type of heel. The shoe upper structure 4 is or may be constructed in the usual manner and is provided with an outer sole 5. The heel portion is of special construction adapted to interlock the heel with the shoe and thus reinforce the union 01' the heel to the shoe. The innersole fi is built into the shoe in any desired manner, sincethe practice of the present invention requires no change in its construction.

The heel l to be applied to the shoe is of the Louis type having the usual lip 8 projecting forward from the upper portion of its breast 9. The

operator, who fits the heel to the shoe, prepares the rear portion of the sole in a manner similar to that employed in the usual heel fitting operation; The operator first cuts the lateral shoulders 158 Which extend inwarda short distance from the sole margins. The shoulders are so located that they will abut the forward end of the lip 8 of the heel when the heel is correctly positioned on the shoe. The operator then cuts a fiap H from the bottom face of the sole. The cut which severs the flap from the sole extends a substantial depth into the sole and terminates at or slightly forward of the plane of the lateral shoulders l0. The total free length of the flap is substantially the same as the length of the lip and is substantially less in width than the lip. The marginal portions of this lip are tapered off to 55 present a thin outer edge. The heel fitter then trims and bevels the main heel portion l2 of the sole to receive the seat of the heel. The portion l2 of the sole is then cemented, tacked or otherwise secured to the shoe.

The shoe is now ready to receive the heel. This is done by projecting the lip 8 of the heel into the out which was made to produce the flap II. The flap II is then caused to overlie and desirably is cemented into contact with the bottom face of the lip 8. The tapered edges of the flap are cemented to lie smoothly against the lip to present a smooth convex contour throughout the width of the lip. The heeling operation is then completed in the usual or any suitable manner, as by driving the screw l5. A finishing cover is then cemented into position along the bottom face of the lip 8, thus concealing the flap l l and presenting a neat finished appearance. The flap II interlocking as it does with the lip 3 of the heel serves to anchor the forward portion of the heel rigidly to the shoe. A desirable finishing cover for the heel lip and breast face of the heel may be provided for by skiving the usual breast flap I3 from the sole prior to the above described heel fitting operation. The flap I3 is then cemented into contact with the bottom face of the heel lip and the breast face of the heel, in the usual manner. The presence of the flap 1 l is thus entirely concealed.

It may be found desirable to modify the normal downwardly convex contour of the lip 8 to better accommodate the flap II. To accomplish this result, a portion of the under face of the lip 8 at the area of contact of the flap I l with the lip, is cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, at M. Thus, the combined thickness of the lip 8 of the heel and the flap II will cause substantially no increase in the normal convexity of the lip contour or otherwise change the appearance of the lip, as compared to a shoe not embodying the principles of the invention.

It may be found necessary in case the lip 8 of the heel is quite thin, to provide means for preventing cutting completely through the lip when forming the flattened lip area l4. To forestall such an undesirable condition, the top face of the lip 8 above the portion l4 may be increased in depth sufiiciently to maintain the normal thickness of the lip throughout this area.

Such an alteration of the lip contour is accomplished by a slight alteration of the contour of the forward portion of the heel seat, which normally has the same concave contour as the upper face of the heel lip. To avoid the necessity for the change in the heel seat contour, the lip 8 may be made initially sufficiently thick to permit the cutting away of the underface without cutting completely through the lip.

A shoe, when constructed under the principles of the invention, will present the same appearance as that of a shoe of ordinary construction,

but will possess the benefits accruing from the greatly reinforced attachment of the heel to the shoe. The benefits resulting from the practice of the invention greatly outweigh the slight additional cost in labor which results from the practice of the invention. Since there are no additional parts to assemble, the material cost remains unchanged.

I claim:

1. A shoe comprising an upper structure, a sole, 2. heel having a lip projecting forward from the upper margin of the breast thereof, said lip presenting a downward projecting convexed bottom face having its mid portion flat, a heel retaining lip of generally semi-circular form struck up from said sole and engaging the lower face of said lip and tapering outwardly in thickness to a thin outer marginal edge and so shaped and positioned upon said flat portion of the lip that it will affect a smoothly curved bottom face upon the lip and covering means struck up from said sole overlying said lip and flap to present a finished appearance to the shoe bottom.

2-. A shoe comprising an upper structure, a sole, a heel having a concaved seat and a lip projecting forward from the upper margin of the heel breast, said lip being of substantially uniform thickness transversely of the heel and curved to the contour of the heel seat at its side portions and flat at its mid portion, a heel retaining flap struck up from said sole, said flap being of substantially semi-circular form, terminating laterally a short distance from the side edges of said sole, tapering in thickness to a thin outer margin and secured to the lower face of the flat portion of said heel lip and a trim flap struck up from said sole, covering said heel retaining flap and heel lip to present a finished appearance to the shoe bottom.

3. A shoe comprising an upper structure, a sole, a heel having a lip projecting forward from the upper margin of the breast thereof, thus presenting a downwardly convexed bottom face having its mid portion partially cut away to present a substantially flat area, said heel lip terminating forwardly in a narrow substantially vertical front edge, a heel retaining flap struck up from the shoe sole, said flap being of substantially semi-circular form terminating laterally a short distance from the side edges of said sole and tapering in thickness to a thin outer margin, secured to the lower face of the flat area of said heel lip, laterally disposed shoulders extending from the sides of the sole inwardly to the base of said heel retaining flap, said shoulders engaging the forward vertical edge of said heel lip' and a trim flap struck up from said sole and overlying the botgom face of said heel lip and said heel retaining JOSEPH PALUMBO. 

